BABYSITTERS DIG - 2002

by Chris Grimmett

More engineering

Brian considers the site for the new winch platform

The May Day bank holiday weekend was the first time that
any serious work was carried out at Babysitters Dig since the August
2000. When digging had ceased, the shaft had already begun to move
off vertical and to one side. This had been causing difficulties
with winching and we had noticed substantial wear on the cable and
pulleys.

The solution was to move the winch position through 90 degrees and no
longer to run the cable through the shelter. This in turn required
the building of a platform for the winch itself as no longer could it be
situated on level ground. The concrete mixing equipment was once
again brought up the hill and a winch platform cast between some handy
limestone boulders. At the same time, the remaining part of the
shaft top was completed and an unloading ramp constructed.

Moving the winch now meant that the headframe was in the wrong position
and would have to be redesigned.